D&AD issues a campaign with an equality wake-up call

For New Blood 2017, D&AD have commissioned a campaign that challenges claims of design industry equality.

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As with many areas of the modern professional landscape, equal representation of race and gender is a problem for the creative industry. According to statistics, only 11.5% of creative directors are female, highlighting the amount of work there's still to be done in the name of equality.

To this end, The Beautiful Meme have devised a bold campaign for D&AD New Blood 2017. Taking as its starting point a series of statements and statistics that highlight the current state of the creative industry, these in-your- face designs are a challenge to whoever reads them to take action.

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The energetic graphics represent a controlled takeover

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The Beautiful Meme want to raise the profile of the New Blood brand

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The campaign echoes a wider desire for tearing up the establishment

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The disruptive design work mirrors the change of the norm

“D&AD New Blood want to hold a mirror to the industry so that when faced with real statements and facts, we can all come together and start thinking about solutions," says Paul Drake, D&AD Foundation Director.

"As an organisation we already work towards finding new ways forward, but we all need to think long term. This is a call for students to enter their work into the New Blood Awards, but this is also a call to the entire industry to wake up and realise that what they need more than anything else is new perspectives, New Blood.”

Tom Sharp, creative director at The Beautiful Meme, adds: "If we see the yearly influx of new talent into the creative industries as nothing more than a perpetuation of the existing system, we do a disservice to the minds joining our industry. Agencies thrive on change and challenge. This is what New Blood brings. Whilst our sector debates equality and the future of creativity, the answers lie with New Blood. We need them."

The constantly evolving campaign will continue to push out statements throughout the year, with D&AD inviting students, creatives and tutors to use the hashtag #WeNeedNewBlood in order to have their say.

The New Blood briefs themselves are available to download from the D&AD site. Entries can be submitted until March 22 2017, with the winners due to be announced on July 6 2017.